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Apple and Samsung both circle Perplexity amid escalating AI competition
Apple and Samsung are reportedly eyeing the same AI company as both tech giants push to dominate the next wave of intelligent smartphone features. With manufacturers investing billions to accelerate AI capabilities, Perplexity — an AI-powered search and answering engine — has emerged as a coveted asset for next-generation assistants and on-device AI experiences.
Perplexity: what it offers
Perplexity provides an LLM-driven search experience that returns direct, sourced answers instead of a list of links. That model, which emphasizes concise responses with citations, is gaining traction as an alternative to traditional search and a tool for research and productivity use cases.
Product features
- LLM-based contextual answers with source citations
- Fast, conversational query handling suitable for voice or text
- Pro subscriptions with enhanced throughput and priority access
- APIs that can be integrated into assistants, browsers, and apps
Comparisons: Perplexity vs. Google Search
Unlike Google’s classic search results that prioritize links and snippets, Perplexity focuses on synthesized, directly usable answers backed by citations — a format better suited for AI assistants and conversational interfaces. However, Google still benefits from deeper indexing and broader web coverage.
Why Apple and Samsung want Perplexity
Reports suggest Samsung has approached a deal to invest in Perplexity and is already offering a one-year Perplexity Pro subscription to Galaxy users in the U.S. The South Korean company appears to plan Perplexity integration across Bixby and Samsung Internet and has indicated that Google’s Gemini won’t be the only AI assistant on the upcoming Galaxy S26 series.
Apple, meanwhile, is said to have discussed acquiring Perplexity outright. Apple has historically made very few billion-dollar acquisitions — notable examples include Beats and Intel’s modem unit — so any deal would be strategically significant. Within Apple, executives such as Eddy Cue reportedly support buying AI startups, while software chief Craig Federighi has argued the company can build much of its AI internally.
Use cases, advantages and market relevance
Integrating Perplexity could accelerate intelligent search, contextual assistance, in-browser answers, and improved customer support workflows. Advantages include faster, more relevant replies for users, reduced reliance on traditional search, and a competitive edge in AI assistant capabilities. For the market, interest from both Apple and Samsung highlights consolidation pressure in the AI stack and the strategic value of LLM-driven search tech.
What’s next
No acquisition or investment has been finalized. Still, the pursuit of Perplexity underscores how AI-powered search and large language models are central to the next generation of mobile features. Whether through acquisition or partnership, whichever company secures Perplexity (or builds an equivalent solution) could gain a meaningful lead in on-device AI assistants and search experiences.
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